Review of Mr. Sardonicus (1961) by Eduardo C — 17 Mar 2009
A decidedly less comical film, but boasting an introduction by the director himself (to get us in the mood) and a typically great performance by Vincent Price, "Mr. Sardonicus" is vintage William Castle, down to the gimmicky "vote" ending.
Despite being unevenly paced, the fact it is more of a fable than a carnival show evidences that beyond the gimmickry Castle was a rather strong director who excelled at creating atmosphere in what essentially ammounted to studio cheapies. His films may not have aspired to be "high art", but they truly excelled at what they did aspire to: being fun.
"Mr. Sardonicus" is not a career highlight for Castle or Price, but its an interesting turn by the former that is carried by the latter and is worth watching for fans of either.
This review of Mr. Sardonicus (1961) was written by Eduardo C on 17 Mar 2009.
Mr. Sardonicus has generally received mixed reviews.
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